DIY Friendship Necklace

As soon as Lauren and I saw this editorial in Flare Magazine, we knew we had to recreate these awesome, friendship bracelet-like necklaces. We promise they are super easy to make and the perfect way to pass the time during those long summer roadtrips.

You’ll need:
– cotton rope or twine
– a pair of scissors
– nuts and washers
– embroidery thread
– thread bobbins or squares of cardboard (all of which you can find at your local hardware and craft store)

To make a 2-tone necklace, cut a long piece of rope and wrap two different colors of embroidery thread around its own bobbin. Tie a starter knot along with the two colored threads you are using, leaving at least 3 inches of slack, Tape down the slack to a flat surface or safety pin it something that will help keep it in place (feeling nostalgic yet?). Lay the color that isn’t being used (shown here in purple) in your left hand, along with the rope, and hold them taut. Take the active color (shown here in red) in your right hand, pass it over the rope, loop it under and back through the opening. Pull up and to the right to tighten. Repeat the knots until you are ready to switch colors. (Click images to enlarge)

To alternate colors, simply put the inactive color (red) in your left hand and the new active color (purple) in your right. Repeat the steps.

Once you’re done knotting, add a few nuts and/or washers to the necklace. Undo the large starter knot and tie both open ends together, creating your very own friendship necklace! Trim any extra rope and tread. Continue making necklaces at different lengths, using any color combination…in our opinion, the more the better! Easy enough, right??

this inspired me to call some of my friends who i haven’t seen for the longest time. they totally remembered how we used to make these back in high school. we promised we’ll hang out sometime and make friendship bracelets again! or necklaces this time!

i was looking for a way to make a belly chain from embroidary floss but i will def be making these too. it makes so much sense to use rope because it gives it body, awww i think im gonna have a collection of these.

do you think we could get away with these in winter if we mute the colors?
I think soo!

Wow, this brings back memories of junior high. Now that I’m a broke, semi-unemployed adult, may be time to bring these back out for Christmas presents! Is there a specific brand on thread you recommend?

These are fantastic! I actually had been trying to remember how we used to make these when I was a kid, b/c I’m about to get married and I thought something like this would make a really adorable personalized wedding favor. Thanks for jogging my memory with this tutorial! Whats great is my much younger soon to be sister in law isn’t old enough to remember the big trend that these were, so its something she can share with her friends and feel a little bit ‘schooled’ on retro teen trends.

This is fantastic…I love it so much, I will have a go at making these for sure!!
All your DIY projects are so good and really inspirational. I also do a few DIY projects on my blog about global fashion and have just done one called Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining. Feel free to check it out and follow if you like it!!

I loved this DIY and made some for myself and friends. I changed it up and used it as a wrap bracelet. Check out my blog and let me know what you think!! I’ll definitely be making more in the future, really great idea.

this was such a perfectly easy way to get a creative fix during one of my last quarters of classes in my doctoral program! thank you!! I made several and hooked them all together into one necklace with a cap bead that I used as a crimp-clasp: check it out if you want!

now to get some girlfriends together and try that proenza schouler necklace next! When I stumbled upon some leopard-print cotton cording at my local fabric store, I knew I had to buy some and save it for this next DIY!

I’m totally addicted to your site…WAOUW WAOUW WAOUW!!!!!! Another great tuto! BUT pleaaaaaaaaase, can you dedicate a tuto to the wonderful pompom bracelet from Honorine jewels? http://www.shoplatitude.com/red-pompom-bracelet.html
They are so trendy and wonderful, perfect for this summer and I’m sure not very complicated to do (for you of course, for me….it’s another story!)
THANKS THANKS and see you soon, YEAH!

I’m working on one right now–it will be a very long piece of rope that I’ll treat as an infinity necklace. We’ll see how it goes! Going to try some bracelets in that same style as well. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing– your site has been an awesome source of inspiration lately!

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Thanks for this — it’s a classic! Instead of knotting, I glued sterling end caps on two lengths of cord, then added a few inches of silver chain to each end cap and gathered the chains in a toggle fastener. Easy, not too expensive, and it gives a more finished look.

My daughter makes something like this that she weaves around earbuds. It helps keep them from tangling and your know which one is yours! I have 3 teenagers, so it is nice for us. Thanks for the updated ideas!